Desiree Ellis identifies weakness in Banyana Olympic qualification failure

The South Africans faced Nigeria in the final round of qualifiers but could not score a goal in 180 minutes of play, with the West Africans going through via a penalty strike from the first leg tie in Abeokuta. 

With a potent strike force of Mexico-based trio Thembi Kgatlana, Hilda Magaia, and Jermaine Seoposenwe, Ellis raised concerns with Banyana's struggles to breach the Super Falcons’ defence.

"First of all, in the first match, they got the penalty but we obviously created a few opportunities that we didn't take. I think in the second game, the plan from the word go was to hit them up front – we didn't do that," said Ellis.

"I looked at it over and over again, and I can't put my hand on why it didn't happen. But we created a few opportunities – if Sinoxolo [Cesane] hits it either side of the goalkeeper, it's in the back of the net.

"If Amogelang Motau places it on the ground in the corner, it's in the back of the net, but that's been our Achilles heal for a long while, it's been our attack – we've created so many chances, it doesn't matter who we play against."

Ellis has called upon coaches, especially in the Hollywoodbets Super League, to assist with the constant training of strikers as there is little time for that when players assemble for national team duty. 

The four-time CAF Women’s Coach of the Year argues creating chances does not help much when they are not converted.

"Our urge is for all the coaches out there to really help us with that [finishing] because we get very little time with the players to work on finishing, and we have to work on so much," she added.

"But the onus is also on the players to go and work on their finishing because the league has grown, yet when players are running in on goal, there's no pressure.

"And the pressure is different when you play at international level, so that's one area that we really, really have to work on over a period of time because, in all other areas of our game, I won't say we're sorted but we're well organised."

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